background preloader

Our America 2015

Facebook Twitter

Italian_Immigration. How Immigrants Are Fueling America’s Cultural History Through Fashion -- Fusion. Iconic American designers like Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren share one thing in common: they had Jewish immigrant parents who came to the U.S. and worked as sewers and tailors in New York’s garment industry. Klein, Karan and Lauren have helped define what American fashion looks like and they follow a lineage of immigrants who have been building that identity for more than a century.

“[Jewish immigrants] defined a new way of freedom and American dress, and that took part in the late 19th and early 20th century, through mid-century, but even earlier,” says Gabriel M. Goldstein, a historian who curated an exhibit for Yeshiva University Museum that explored the garment industry and Jewish immigrants. Goldstein says German immigrant Levi Strauss and the creation of blue jeans really trademarked American identity and fashion. “It’s really hard to think of American life without Levi’s blue jeans,” said Goldstein.

The L.A. Ramiro Gonzalez grew up near Santa Ana, California. Namechangesimage. 'Day Of The Dead' Expanding In U.S. ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico -- Growing up in South Texas, Kiko Torres saw the Day of the Dead as an obscure holiday celebrated in southern Mexico. Few people dared to discuss it in his small but strong Catholic, Mexican-American community. Still, Torres said he became fascinated by Day of the Dead folk art and ceremonies he saw during his father's research trips to Mexico. Those images of dancing skeleton figurines and the event's spiritual messages of honoring the dead, he said, were misunderstood in the United States. "People here thought it was something to be scared of or evil," said Torres. But that's changing. In Houston, artists hold a "Day of the Dead Rock Stars" where they pay homage to departed singers like Joey Ramone, Johnny Cash and even "El Marvin Gaye.

" "It's everywhere now," said Carlos Hernandez, 49, a Houston-based artist who launched the "Day of the Dead Rock Stars" event. The holiday is celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil and parts of Ecuador. 10 Asian-American Fashion Designers You Should Know. St. Joseph's Night in New Orleans: Out After Dark with the Wild Indians. The legendary Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans can be seen in all their splendor on Fat Tuesday, the one day of the year they're allowed to run wild in the streets from dawn to dark.

But there's another Crescent City holiday, celebrated every March 19th, that brings the Indians out into the neighborhood streets in full costume once again, and in some ways it's even more magical -- because it takes place in the dark of night. St. Joseph's Day, the day the swallows come back to Capistrano, is a well-established and extremely colorful New Orleans celebration observed by the city's Italian-American community to the delight of all. Its crowning glory is the plethora of St. Joseph's Day altars constructed in the homes and churches of the faithful to give thanks to the father of Jesus Christ for answering their prayers and special requests during years past. The St. Why the Wild Indians of Mardi Gras have chosen St. On St. The Wild Indians range closer to home on St.

St. German - Building Institutions, Shaping Tastes - Immigration…- Classroom Presentation. Building Institutions, Shaping Tastes As Germans became one of the predominant immigrant groups of the 19th century, it was only natural that they would come to have a powerful influence over the development of American culture. Some German contributions to U.S. life are easy to pinpoint--sauerkraut, for example, or the tuba, or the national fondness for light, fizzy beer. However, the German influence on life in the United States runs much deeper, influencing many of the institutions, traditions, and daily habits that many today think of as being quintessentially American. For example, the U.S. education system, from the lowest grades to the highest, would be unrecognizable without ideas championed by German immigrants. German culture has long cultivated a strong commitment to education, and Germans brought this dedication with them to their new home. What other foods, celebrations, or traditions might be linked to German heritage?

CincoDeMayo. Ellis Island Interactive Tour With Facts, Pictures, Video. World War II and the Postwar Period The United States entered World War II in 1942. During the war, immigration decreased. There was fighting in Europe, transportation was interrupted, and the American consulates weren't open. Fewer than 10 percent of the immigration quotas from Europe were used from 1942 to 1945.In many ways, the country was still fearful of the influence of foreign-born people. The United States was fighting Germany, Italy, and Japan (also known as the Axis Powers), and the U.S. government decided it would detain certain resident aliens of those countries.

(Resident aliens are people who are living permanently in the United States but are not citizens.) Oftentimes, there was no reason for these people to be detained, other than fear and racism.Beginning in 1942, the government even detained American citizens who were ethnically Japanese. Also because of the war, the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943. Learn More. The League of Kitchens: Cooking Workshops in NYC. Poinsettia. Vera Wang. Korean-Arts About Korean Celadon. The works are then glazed and given their final firing. The entire process takes days or sometimes weeks and, due to the high level of pride of the artisans the pottery has a very low survival rate. Pieces that do not not meet the artist's standards are intentionally destroyed at approximately the following rates: Ho-Am Art Museum has a nice collection of Koryo celadon, earthenware, Bun-cheong (brown porcelain), and white porcelain.

To go to the English home page click here. To go to the celadon section, click here, then click on "celadon" under the ceramics menu. Arts of Asia Magazine the foremost international Asian arts and antiques magazine, is one of the most beautifully illustrated and richly descriptive magazines about the Asian arts. KoreaTips has a good culture section featuring Korean history, culture and traditions. Links relating to Asian art The Japanese Connection A beautiful collection of handmade crafts from Japan. Links relating to traditional arts Miscellaneous art links. Fashion Icons. American Business: Melting Pot: Capitalizing on the experience of immigrants. Celebrities Who've Changed Their Names For Fame. If you're one of those people who thinks they know everything about every celebrity, think again. (Unless you happen to know who Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor is.) Dozens of stars opt to change their real names before they are famous, choosing to go by more unique or interesting monikers.

For instance, dear old Miley Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, but officially changed her name in January 2008. Here are some other celebrities whose real names will surprise you: Getty Images If you're one of those people who thinks they know everything about every celebrity, think again. (Unless you happen to know who Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor is.) Dozens of stars opt to change their real names before they are famous, choosing to go by more unique or interesting monikers. Here are some other celebrities whose real names will surprise you: Getty Images.

Italian Americans - History, Early immigration, The emergence oflittle italies, Acculturation and Assimilation. Overview Moored by Alpine mountains in the north, the boot-shaped Italian peninsula juts into the central Mediterranean Sea. Along its European frontier, Italy shares borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The nation's land mass, which includes the two major islands of Sicily and Sardinia and numerous smaller ones, measures 116,324 square miles (301,200 square kilometers)—almost exactly double the size of the state of Florida.

Italy's population in 1991 stood at 57.6 million. With the exception of the broad north Italian Plain at the foot of the Alps, the peninsula is crosscut through much of its length by the Apennine mountain chain. Italy's modern state traces its mythological roots to the founding of the city of Rome in 753 B.C. Italian American immigrant laborers pose with the "first train" over the Trolley Road during the construction of the New Troy, Rensselaer & Pittsfield Electric Railway, through Lebanon Valley, New York. Euphrates River. Chinese_opera_essay.pdf. Obon. Obon is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one's ancestors. It is believed that each year during obon, the ancestors' spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives. Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of houses to guide the ancestors' spirits, obon dances (bon odori) are performed, graves are visited and food offerings are made at house altars and temples.

At the end of Obon, floating lanterns are put into rivers, lakes and seas in order to guide the spirits back into their world. The customs followed vary strongly from region to region. Obon is observed from the 13th to the 15th day of the 7th month of the year, which is July according to the solar calendar. The Obon week in mid August is one of Japan's three major holiday seasons, accompanied by intensive domestic and international travel activities and increased accommodation rates. Traffic Situation - Obon 2015. Korean Americans - Early history, Modern era, The first koreans in america. Overview Known to its people as Choson (Land of Morning Calm), Korea occupies a mountainous peninsula in eastern Asia. Stretching southward from Manchuria and Siberia for close to 600 miles (966 kilometers), it extends down to the Korea Strait. China lies to Korea's west, separated from the peninsula by the Yellow Sea.

Japan lies to its east on the other side of the Sea of Japan. Western societies have traditionally viewed the Korean peninsula as a remote region of the world. At the end of World War II in 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union divided the peninsula along the 38th Parallel into two zones of occupation—a Soviet controlled region in the north and an American controlled one in the south. An estimated 67 million people live on the Korean peninsula, with a population of approximately 43.9 million in South Korea and another 23.1 million residing in North Korea.

In its 5,000-year history, Korea has suffered over 900 invasions from outside peoples. History of Chinese Chopsticks. The Chinese were the first to invent chopsticks thousands of years ago and it is said that they were regarded as an extension of the fingers, which were not afraid of extreme heat or cold.

The first mention of them in Chinese history was 2000 years ago in the Shang Dynasty’s – Book of Rites. At that time, they were in the form of twigs which later evolved into the tapered wooden sticks as we know them today. These eating utensils began to be called kuaizi (Qu-eye-zuh) during the Ming Dynasty. In the book “Dictionary of Chinese Folk Customs”, it states that they were a food picking utensil made of bamboo or wood that was widely used by Hans and some other minority ethnic groups in China.

In the early ages, they were made of branches, bamboo or natural animal bones. Later they were made of scraped bamboo or wood. Ivory and jade utensils appeared during the Xia and Shang dynasties. These wooden eating utensils may be either round or square. Want to learn how to use chopsticks? Derek lam. Helenmirren. Nickiminaj. Myth # 74 Revisited: The Christmas tree tradition was brought to America by the German immigrants. | History Myths Debunked. Celadon. Audreyhepburn. Ladygaga. Jason wu. Ninadobrev. Lorde.

Kidcudi. Cholastyle. Dayofthedead. Celadonteapot. Irish Americans - History, Irish emigration, Immigration until the famine years. Overview The island of Ireland lies west of Great Britain across the Irish Sea and St. George's Channel. It is divided into two separate political entities: the independent Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland, a constituent of the United Kingdom. Dublin is the capital of the former, Belfast of the latter. The country is divided into four provinces: Leinster, Munster, Connaught, and Ulster. All of the first three and part of the fourth are situated within the Republic of Ireland. Ireland was occupied by Celtic peoples, who came to be known as Gaels, sometime between 600 and 400 B.C.

English kings traveled to Ireland on several occasions to effect order and increase allegiance to the Crown. In 1800, two years after the defeat of the rebellion of Protestant and Catholic United Irishmen led by Wolfe Tone, the Act of Union was passed, combining Great Britain and Ireland into one United Kingdom. The Irish like to boast that St. To make a success of large-scale agriculture. As well. Brunomars. Alexander wang. Cholastyle2. Taekwondo. Charliesheen. Barmitzvahs. Hanukkah. Calvin kleinfinal. The Legend and History of The Poinsettia. The plant we know today as the poinsettia has long and interestin g history. Native to Central America, the plant flourished in an area of Southern Mexico known as Taxco del Alarcon. The Aztecs used the plant decorative purposes but also put the plant to practical use. They extracted a purplish dye for use in textiles and cosmetics from the plant’s bracts. The milky white sap, today called latex, was made into a preparation to treat fevers.

The poinsettia may have remained a regional plant for many years to come had it not been for the efforts of Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851). Poinsett maintained his own hothouses on his Greenville, South Carolina plantations, and while visiting the Taxco area in 1828, he became enchanted by the brilliant red blooms he saw there. Among the recipients of Poinsett's work was John Bartram of Philadelphia, who in turn gave the plant over to another friend, Robert Buist, a Pennsylvania nurseryman.

A charming story is told of P. Marc jacobs. Cinco de Mayo - Holidays. In 1861 the liberal Mexican Benito Juárez (1806-1872) became president of a country in financial ruin, and he was forced to default on his debts to European governments. In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but France, ruled by Napoleon III (1808-1873), decided to use the opportunity to carve a dependent empire out of Mexican territory.

Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat. Certain that success would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez (1814-1892) set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a rag-tag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla. Michael kors. Ralph lauren. Obondancing. Chola style – the latest cultural appropriation fashion crime? | Fashion. The Cholas in my Wyoming high school had a very distinct style.

This was the 90s, and the way a Chola styled her bangs – fringe to you Brits - was so key to the look that coiffing them was almost like a contest. Whichever girl could grow her bangs the longest and AquaNet her swoop to a peacocky height with a crest of curl up top was queen bee of the school. You might not be aware of what a chola is, and certainly not if you’re reading this in the UK, but in the US chola-style is very popular. Traditionally, the elements of “chola style” relate to a specific subculture of first- and second-generation Mexican American girls influenced by hip-hop, enamoured with lowrider cars, and sometimes associated with gangs. This was 15 years ago, but the thing is, popular culture has since made me feel like even us genuine Wyoming cholas were never quite 100% authentic.

While we were all Mexican American, I later learned that the concept of “chola” was more than a look. St patricks parade 2010 leprechaun. Obonlattern. Mardi gras indians. Men fashion. Tarantella. Womenfashion. Irishfiddle. Stpatricksdayparade. German christmas. German Immigration - Jewish Americans - History, European life, Immigration waves, Settlement patterns, Acculturation and Assimilation. Japanese Americans keeping Obon tradition alive. Phillip lim. Taekwondo History. The Handbook for Educators Who Work with Children of Mexican Origin. Celebrities Who've Changed Their Names To Broaden Market Appeal (PHOTOS) Rita Hayworth, Movie Legend, Dies. Immigrants have enriched American culture and enhanced our influence in the world. Anitapage. Cantonese opera. Jackiechan. Laundry workers lunch balch museum 1980s.

Ritahayworth. German physical education. Leviminers. Levistrauss. Christmas tree photo. The Immigrant Learning Center » Strauss. Afsari bangladesh. Despina greece. Dolly trinidad. Jeanette lebanon. Mirta argentina. Nawida afghanistan. Sunny korea. Yamini india. Italian Influence on American Glamour. Mardi Gras Indians Super Sunday around St. Joseph's Day | Mardi Gras New Orleans.